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Erectile function and risk of Parkinson's disease
Xiang Gao1, Honglei Chen, Michael A Schwarzschild
1Department of Nutrition, Harvard University School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA. xgao@hsph.harvard.edu
American Journal of Epidemiology
|September 19, 2007
Summary
Erectile dysfunction may precede Parkinson's disease diagnosis. Men with erectile dysfunction before 1986 showed a significantly higher risk of developing Parkinson's disease in this study.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Epidemiology
- Men's Health
Background:
- Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a known comorbidity in Parkinson's disease (PD).
- It remains unclear whether ED predates the onset of classic PD motor symptoms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between erectile dysfunction and the subsequent risk of developing Parkinson's disease.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 32,616 men from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, free of PD at baseline (1986).
- Participants completed a questionnaire in 2000 assessing erectile function at different time points.
- Cox proportional hazards models were used to calculate relative risks, adjusting for covariates.
Main Results:
- Men reporting erectile dysfunction before 1986 had a 3.8-fold increased likelihood of PD diagnosis between 1986-2002.
- The risk of PD increased with earlier onset of ED, with relative risks of 2.7, 3.7, and 4.0 for onset at ages 60+, 50-59, and <50, respectively.
Conclusions:
- Erectile dysfunction is associated with an elevated risk of developing Parkinson's disease.
- ED may serve as an early, non-motor symptom preceding the diagnosis of Parkinson's disease.
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